שׁוֹר אוֹ כֶּשֶׂב אוֹ עֵז וְגוֹ'. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: עַמִּי מֶה עָשִׂיתִי לְךָ וּמָה הֶלְאֵתִיךָ עֲנֵה בִּי (מיכה ו, ג). אָמַר רַב אֶחָא, עֲנֵה בִּי וְקַבֵּל שָׂכָר, וְאַל תַּעֲנֶה וּתְקַבֵּל דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן. אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן, בִּשְׁלֹשָה מְקוֹמוֹת בָּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהִתְוַכֵּחַ עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהָיוּ אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם שְׂמֵחִין. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר, לְכוּ נָא וְנִוָּכְחָה (ישעיה א, יח), שְׂמֵחִין וְאוֹמְרִין, עַכְשָׁו הוּא מְכַלֶּה אוֹתָן. כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁהָיוּ שְׂמֵחִין, הֲפָכָהּ לָהֶם לְמוּטָב, אָמַר לָהֶן, אִם יִהְיוּ חֲטָאֵיכֶם כַּשָּׁנִים כַּשֶּׁלֶג יַלְבִּינוּ אִם יַאְדִּימוּ כַתּוֹלָע כַּצֶּמֶר יִהְיוּ (שם). כְּשֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם כָּךְ, תָּמְהוּ וְאָמְרוּ, זוֹ הִיא תּוֹכֵחָה, וְזוֹ הִיא תְּשׁוּבָה. לֹא אָתָא אֶלָּא לְמִתְפּוֹגְגָה עִם בְּנוֹהִי. בַּשְּׁנִיָּה, כְּשֶׁאָמַר לָהֶם: כִּי רִיב לַה' עִם עַמּוֹ וְעִם יִשְׂרָאֵל יִתְוַכָּח (מיכה ו, ב). שָׂמְחוּ אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם וְאָמְרוּ, עַכְשָׁו הוּא מְכַלֶּה אוֹתָן. כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כֵּן, הֲפָכָהּ לָהֶם לְמוּטָב, וְאָמַר, עַמִּי זְכֹר נָא מַה יָּעַץ בָּלָק מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב וּמֶה עָנָה אוֹתוֹ בִּלְעָם וְגוֹ' (שם פסוק ה). כְּשֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם כֵּן, תָּמְהוּ וְאָמְרוּ, זוֹ תְּשׁוּבָה וְזוֹ תּוֹכֵחָה, לֹא אָתָא אֶלָּא לְמִתְפּוֹגְגָה עִם בְּנוֹהִי. הַשְּׁלִישִׁי, כְּשֶׁאָמַר וְרִיב לַה' עִם יְהוּדָה (הושע יב, ג). שָׂמְחוּ הָאֻמּוֹת וְאָמְרוּ, עַכְשָׁו הוּא מְכַלֶּה אוֹתָן. כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כָּךְ, הֲפָכָהּ לָהֶם לְמוּטָב, וְאָמַר, בַּבֶּטֶן עָקַב אֶת אָחִיו וּבְאוֹנוֹ שָׂרָה אֶת אֱלֹהִים (שם פסוק ד). מָשָׁל לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה. לְאִשָּׁה שֶׁהָיְתָה קוֹבֶלֶת עַל בְּנָהּ, וְהִזְמִינָה אוֹתוֹ לִפְנֵי הַשּׁוֹפֵט לְמִשְׁפָּט. אַתּוּ כֻלֵּי עַלְמָא לְמִחְמֵי. אָמְרוּ דֵּין לְדֵין, חֲזוּ הַאי אִתְּתָא אַתְיָא לְדִינָא לְמִקְטַל בְּרָהּ. כֵּיוָן דַּחֲזַת אִתְּתָא הָא, וְשָׁמְעָה מַה דַּהֲוֵי אָמְרִין, אַפְּכָה לְאִשְׁתַּעוּיֵי בְּמִילֵי אַחֲרִינֵי. כַּד אֲתָת קֲדַם דַּיְנָא, אֲמַר לָהּ, מַה עֲבִיד לָךְ בְּרִיךְ. אָמְרָה לֵהּ, כַּד הֲוַה בִּמְעוֹי בָּעַט בִּי. אֲמַר לָהּ הַדַּיָּן, וְלָא עֲבַד לִיךְ מִילֵי אַחֲרִינֵי. אָמְרָה לֵהּ, לָאו. אֲמַר לָהּ, לֵית דֵּין סִרְחַן דִּכְלוּם. תָּהוּ כֻלֵּי עַלְמָא וְאָמְרוּ, זוֹ תְּשׁוּבָה וְזוֹ תּוֹכֵחָה. לָא אֲתַת דֵּין אֶלָּא לְמִתְפַּגְּיָא עִם בְּרָהּ. וְחָזְרוּ בְּבֹשֶׁת פָּנִים. כָּךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חָזַר וְהָפַךְ הַתּוֹכֵחָה לְאַהֲבָה, וְחָזְרוּ אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם חֲפוּיִים. וּמָה הֶלְאֵתִיךָ (מיכה ו, ג). אָמַר רַבִּי בְּרֶכְיָה, מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁשָּׁלַח פְּרוֹזְדּוּגְמָא שֶׁלּוֹ לִמְדִינָה. מֶה עָשׂוּ בְּנֵי הַמְּדִינָה. נָטְלוּ אוֹתָהּ וּפָרְעוּ אֶת רָאשֵׁיהֶם, וְקָרְאוּ אוֹתָהּ בְּאֵימָה בְּיִרְאָה בִּרְתֵת וּבְזִיעַ. כָּךְ אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּנַי, הָדָא קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע הִיא פְּרוֹזְדּוּגְמָא שֶׁלִּי, לֹא הִטְרַחְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם וְלֹא אָמַרְתִּי לָכֶם שֶׁתִּהְיוּ קוֹרְאִין אוֹתָהּ, לֹא עוֹמְדִין עַל רַגְלֵיכֶם וְלֹא פּוֹרְעִין אֶת רָאשֵׁיכֶם, אֶלָּא, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ (דברים ו, ז). דָּבָר אַחֵר, וּמַה הֶלְאֵתִיךָ. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּרַבִּי סִמּוֹן, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, עֲשָׂרָה בְּהֵמוֹת מָסַרְתִּי לְךָ. שָׁלֹשׁ בִּרְשׁוּתְךָ, וְשֶׁבַע שֶׁאֵינָן בִּרְשׁוּתְךָ. שׁוֹר שֶׂה כְּשָׂבִים וְשֶׂה עִזִּים (שם יד, ד). וְאֵלּוּ שֶׁאֵינָן בִּרְשׁוּתְךָ, אַיָּל וּצְבִי וְיַחְמוּר וְאַקּוֹ וְדִישׁוֹן וּתְאוֹ וָזָמֶר (שם פסוק ה). לֹא הִטְרַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם וְלֹא אָמַרְתִּי לָכֶם לַעֲלוֹת בֶּהָרִים וּלְהִתְיַגֵּעַ בַּשָּׂדוֹת וּלְהָבִיא לְפָנַי קָרְבָּן מֵאֵלּוּ שֶׁאֵינָן בִּרְשׁוּתְךָ, אֶלָּא מֵאֵלּוּ שֶׁהֵן בִּרְשׁוּתְךָ הַגְּדֵלוֹת עַל אֲבוּסְךָ אָמַרְתִּי לְהָבִיא קָרְבָּן לְפָנַי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: שׁוֹר אוֹ כֶּשֶׂב אוֹ עֵז. (Lev. 22:27:) “When a bull or a sheep or a goat […].” This text is related (to Micah 6:3), “My people, what have I done to you and how have I wearied you; testify against Me.”51PRK 9:5; Lev. R. 27:6; Numb. R. 10:1. R. Aha said, “Testify against Me (i.e., prove me wrong by keeping the commandments), and receive a reward. And do not testify (against your neighbor falsely), and receive a settlement of accounts.” R. Samuel bar Nahman said, “On three occasions the Holy One, blessed be He, came to dispute with Israel, when the nations of the world rejoiced: At that time, when He said to them (in Is. 1:18), ‘Please come and let us dispute together,’ they rejoiced and said, ‘Now He will finish them off.’ When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that they were rejoicing, He reversed [the punishment] for the better. He said (ibid.), ‘though your sins be as scarlet, they shall become as white as snow […].’ When the nations of the world heard this, they were astonished and said, ‘Is this an answer; is this a rebuke? He has only come to amuse Himself with His children (and not to dispute with them seriously).’ In the second [occasion], when He said to them (in Micah 6:2), ‘[Hear, O mountains, the claim of the Lord …] for the Lord has a claim with His people, and He will dispute with Israel,’ they rejoiced and said, ‘Now He will finish them off.’ When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that, He reversed [the punishment] for the better and said (in Micah 6:5), ‘My people, please remember what King Balak of Moab plotted and what Balaam answered him….’52Cf. PR 48:1. When the nations of the world heard this, they were astonished and said, ‘Is this an answer; is this a rebuke? He has only come to amuse Himself with His children.’ The third [occasion] when He said (in Hos. 12:3), ‘The Lord has a claim with Judah,’ they rejoiced and said, ‘Now He will finish them off.’ When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that, He reversed [the punishment] for the better and said (in Hos. 12:4) ‘In the womb he grabbed his brother by the heel […].’” [The situation] is similar to a woman who complained to the judge about her son and brought him for trial. Everyone came to see. They said, one to another, “See that this woman has brought her son to be killed in the case.” When the woman saw this and heard what they said, she reversed [her mind] to speak with different words. When she came before the judge, he said to her, “What has your son done to you?” She said to him, “When he was in my womb, he kicked me.” He said to her, “Has he done anything else to you?” She said, “No.” He said to her, “There is no legal offense at all.” Everyone was astonished and said, “Is this an answer; is this a rebuke? She only came to amuse herself with her son.” So they left with embarrassment on their faces. So too did the Holy One, blessed be He, go back and reverse His rebuke to love, and the nations of the world left confounded. (Micah 6:3:) “And how have I wearied you?” R. Berekhyah said, “[The situation] is similar to a king who sent his proclamation53Gk.: prostagma. to a province. What did the people of the province do? When they received it, they uncovered their heads, and read it in fear, in awe and in trembling. So did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Israel, ‘The reading of the Shema is My proclamation. I did not burden you and I did not tell you that you were to read it either standing upon your feet or with your heads uncovered, but (according to Deut. 6:7) “when you are sitting in your house, when you are walking on the road, when you are lying down, and when you are getting up.”’” Another interpretation (of Micah 6:3), “and how have I wearied you”: R. Judah bar Simon said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘I have delivered ten [kinds of] beasts to you (for food).54See also PR 16:1; Numb. R. 20:5; 21:16. Three are in your possession, and seven are not in your possession. Now these are those which are in your possession (according to Deut. 14:4), “the bull, the sheep, and the goat.” And these are those which are not in your possession (according to Deut. 14:5), “The deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.” I did not burden you, nor did I tell you to go up into the mountains or tire yourselves out in the fields in order to bring Me a sacrifice from those [which are not in your possession]. Rather [your sacrifices come] from those which are in your possession, which grew up at your feeding trough. This is what is stated (in Lev. 22:27), “A bull or a sheep or a goat.”’”